Former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney Laid to Rest Near Parliament

Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, who led the country for 8 1/2 years through a period of significant change, was laid to rest this week. 

 

Mulroney passed away on February 29 in Florida at the age of 84. His body lay in state at the Sir John A. Macdonald Building, directly across from the Parliament he once presided over.

 

Mounties stood guard around his flag-draped coffin, while a line of mourners, many of whom had cast their first-ever vote for Mulroney, navigated a maze of barricades to pay their respects. 

 

Mulroney's tenure as Prime Minister was marked by two consecutive majority government victories in the 1984 and 1988 general elections. 

 

His time in office was characterized by transformative policies, including the implementation of free trade, the introduction of the goods and services tax, and attempts at constitutional reform through the Meech Lake and Charlottetown accords, both of which ultimately failed.

 

Mulroney was also instrumental in environmental efforts, such as agreements to reduce acid rain and the Montreal Protocol, which aimed to limit the use of ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons. 

 

On the international stage, he was a vocal opponent of apartheid in South Africa. However, despite these achievements, Mulroney's personal popularity suffered a steep decline, leading to his departure from politics in 1993. 

 

In the same year, the Progressive Conservatives, under the leadership of Mulroney's successor, Kim Campbell, faced a devastating defeat in the polls, securing only two seats.

 

As mourners gathered to remember the former Prime Minister, the impact of Mulroney's policies and leadership on Canada's history remained a subject of reflection and debate.